Jerry Colonna
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gerardo Luigi "Jerry" Colonna (September 17, 1904 – November 22, 1986) was an American musician, actor, comedian, singer, songwriter and trombonist best remembered as the zaniest of Bob Hope's sidekicks in Hope's popular radio shows and films of the 1940s and 1950s.
With his pop-eyed facial expressions and walrus-sized handlebar moustache, Colonna was known for singing loudly "in a comic caterwaul," according to Raised on Radio author Gerald Nachman, and for his catchphrase, "Who's Yehudi?", uttered after many an old joke, although it usually had nothing to do with the joke. The line was believed to be named for violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin, and the search for Yehudi became a running gag on the Hope show.
Colonna featured in three of the popular Hope-Crosby Road films: Road to Singapore (1940) as Achilles Bombassa, Road to Rio (1947) as a Cavalry captain and The Road to Hong Kong (1962) in a cameo role. He can also be seen in the Fred Allen vehicle, It's in the Bag! (1945), as psychiatrist Dr. Greenglass, and he made a brief appearance with Hope in the "Wife, Husband and Wolf" sketch in Star Spangled Rhythm. In 1956 he performed the featured song "My Lucky Charm" in the film Meet Me in Las Vegas, starring Dan Dailey and Cyd Charisse.
He provided the voice of the March Hare in the Walt Disney animated film version of Alice in Wonderland (1951) (another radio legend, Ed Wynn, voiced the Mad Hatter) and also lent his zany narration style to several Disney shorts, including Casey at the Bat (1946) and The Brave Engineer (1950).
Acted in
This Is Bob Hope...
2017
as Self (archive footage)
Entertaining the Troops: Bob Hope & the USO
2002
as Self (archive footage)
Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents
1996
as Self (archive footage)
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988
as Self (archive footage)
Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready
1977
as Self
Joys
1976
as Self
Dinah!
1974
as Self
The Monkees
1966
as Dr. Mann
The Road to Hong Kong
1962
as Man Looking For a Match (uncredited)
Andy Hardy Comes Home
1958
as Doc
Pinocchio
1957
as Ringmaster
The Rosemary Clooney Show
1956
as Self
Meet Me in Las Vegas
1956
as Jerry Colonna
Music Land
1955
as Narrator (archive footage)
Climax!
1954
as Stan
Ellis in Freedomland
1952
as The Waste-away (voice)
Alice in Wonderland
1951
as March Hare (voice)
Operation Wonderland
1951
as Self
Kentucky Jubilee
1951
as Jerry Harris
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
as Self
The Brave Engineer
1950
as Narrator
What's My Line?
1950
as Self - Mystery Guest
Casey at the Bat
1946
as Narrator
Make Mine Music
1946
as Narrator (segment "Casey at the Bat") (voice)
Road to Utopia
1946
as Man on boat to Alaska (uncredited)
It's in the Bag!
1945
as Dr. Greengrass
Atlantic City
1944
as The Professor
Musical Movieland
1944
as The Texas Tornado
Stars on Horseback
1943
Ice Capades Revue
1942
as Theophilus J. Twitchell
Priorities on Parade
1942
as Jeep Jackson
True to the Army
1942
as Pvt. 'Pinky' Fothergill
Star Spangled Rhythm
1942
as Jerry Colonna
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 1
1941
as Himself
Ice-Capades
1941
as Colonna
Sis Hopkins
1941
as Professor
Melody and Moonlight
1940
as Abner Kellogg
Comin' Round the Mountain
1940
Road to Singapore
1940
as Achilles Bombanassa
Naughty But Nice
1939
as Allie Gray
Sweepstakes Winner
1939
as Nick, the Chef
Swingtime in the Movies
1938
as The Texas Tornado
Garden of the Moon
1938
as Musician
Valley of the Giants
1938
as Saloon Singer
Little Miss Broadway
1938
as Band Member
Port of Seven Seas
1938
as Arab Rug Dealer
The Star Reporter
1938
as Singer-Freddie Rich Orchestra
Rosalie
1937
as Joseph
Song Hits on Parade
1936